recolle | Heaven, Help Us Now; Come Crashing Down

Heaven, Help Us Now; Come Crashing Down

WHO: Orion and OPEN! +1 closed to Fai.
WHERE: Shops/Jobs/Around Recolle (prompts within)
WHEN: 7/13 - 7/18
WHAT: Regain swap gave Orion cat ears; he's not pleased.
WARNINGS: Mentions of Schizophrenia (marked); Swearing; General aggression. Will update as needed.

[ 1. APARTMENT - CLOSED TO FAI ]

Orion had woken up that morning, feeling groggy as usual. He tumbles over a few piles of dissaray between trash, clothes, and other miscellanious items as he makes his way to the restroom. He'd slept in his clothes from the day before, and doesn't look at the mirror as he passes by it to use the toilet. It isn't until he's washed his hands and face, moving to brush his teeth, that he notices two black protrusions from his white hair.

Orion blinks groggily. What the fuck are those? They twitch and Orion's eyes widen as he tries to grasp the situation. He flicks on the light behind him (quickly wishing he hadn't since he hasn't adjusted to being awake yet) to get a better look.

"GAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" Orion yells as he shoves himself back from the sink - mostly from surprise, but with a hint of rage.

Are those fucking cat ears?!? WHAT THE HELL!

[ 2. SHOPS ]

Grocery shopping has never been Orion's favourite thing. But having to do it with implanted cat ears? Someone kill him, please. Put him out of his misery. He keeps his eyes mostly on the ground, to avoid eye-contact with people and to try to ignore their conversations about it. Some people find it cute, others find it creepy that a man would "wear" cat ears in public like this.

If only it was a stupid cosplay. As it is, he has to fight to keep them from twitching and flicking at the different sounds. He grits his teeth to himself as he picks up the eggs and places them in his basket before quickly moving on. The sooner he's done, the sooner he can go home.

Except he isn't quite watching where he's going as he tries to quickly duck into another aisle and he crashes into you. The force of which causes him to actually lose his balance and he falls backward onto his behind. The cat ears are laid back flat against his head as he grits his teeth.

"Fuck." There goes the eggs. He hasn't bothered to look over at you to see if you're alright yet.

[ 3. JOBS ]

This week, he's cashiering at a clothing shop.

He's doing his best to play his ears off as nothing and has shot a few glares at his higher ups to take the ears off - this is a professional environment! Which doesn't help him, because it makes his ears twitch and move accordingly.

These things are so damn stupid. Why in the Hell does he have them?

Before long of the glares though, they do realise that they are... unfortunately... attached. And since Orion needs the money, he's not going home. Maybe this shit would have been more appropriate at Hot Topic or something. But he doesn't work in a place like that. So, his ears will visibly stand out to customers. He has to fight not to shoot an annoyed look at every person who brings them up; children are especially popular for it.

He can be found around the store, hanging clothes on the racks, changing the displays, or checking you out at the cash register. And if you're looking at his ears, expect him to lay them back as he narrows his eyes.

[ 4. AROUND RECOLLE OPTIONS A OR B - CW: MENTIONS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA]

This is ridiculous. Absolutely fucking ridiculous. Having these ears apparently wasn't bad enough. But hearing a subtle vocal nudge to find someone named NEFERTI, persistently, is causing him to twitch more than a little uncomfortably. How does he make this stop? NOW, preferably. Hell, when he first woke up to this, it would have been a great time to stop. But none of the grounding techniques are working.

Ultimately, he's decided to try and hunt down this Neferti.

[A] Since trying to ignore it does literally nothing. From time to time, he can be found huddling in a corner, with his back to a wall or a tree. He does not look alright in the slightest in these moments, clearly rattled by something. Feel free to check in on him and see if he needs help in these states, or sideeye him entirely.

[B] Other times, he can be found scrambling around in a hurry. He spots you and quickly heads your direction, grabbing you by the collar of your shirt.

"Are you Neferti?" he demands. Are you going to help him or rip him a new one for aggressively grabbing you?

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Yato is hopping around town, busy granting wishes (or trying to) while practicing his newfound ability to leap impossible distances with impossible weightlessness. It's something of a spectacle, the way he skips from buildings to streetlights, treetops to telephone lines, like a flea on the body of the city.

He comes across what looks like a man huddled under a tree, and the more Yato looks at him, the more familiar that curled up form seems. As he comes upon the tree, he hops down onto a branch with a gentle rustle of leaves. The slender branch bends only slightly under his weight; clearly Yato is not nearly as heavy as he should be. What's more, he stands upright on the branch without a hint of imbalance.

"Hey," he calls down to the huddled figure.

The rustle of the leaves causes him to twitch, but it's the Hey that makes him jolt, his head instantly flicking above him, and his cat ears laying flat against his head. There should be something familiar about this guy above him, right?

But that thought doesn't even get the opportunity to become coherent as he notices the branch Yato is standing on, and Orion's fearful eyes narrow.

Since when did his hallucinations begin to appear human?

He's uncomfortable, and he really doesn't like this. His eyes never leave Yato.

"Great, just what I needed, an hallucination checking on me." He says it purposefully with spite, but his voice sounds uneven, as if calling it out for what it is can do anything to make him feel better.

Still, though, he uncomfortably scoots over to the side of the tree. Just in case that branch falls, or hallucination-Yato shits like a bird, or something equally stupid.

A hallucination, is he? That's a new one. But Yato is used to strange reactions by now, so he thinks nothing of it. People can call him whatever they like if it gets them to acknowledge him.

Yato likes his spot in the tree just fine, so he doesn't descend to sit with Orion. He'll sit right in place with a light rustle of leaves, the branch none too bothered by his movement. He recognizes Orion now as that guy who showed up at his party. What's more, he recognizes that set of ears that wasn't on Orion before.

"Growing ears now? You related to that Cleo girl?"

"Cleo girl?" He's never so much as heard the name. "Look, it's not like I grew cat ears because I wanted to."

Still, if someone else has cat ears, does that mean they can help?

"Who's Cleo?"

Why is he asking an hallucination for help? Oh, well. It can't be worse than nothing, can it?

"While you're up there, do you know who Neferti is?" Might as well try.

"No clue. Wasn't there some Egyptian queen with a name like that?" Yato shrugs and reclines to lie on his side on the branch. His ancient Egyptian knowledge might be slightly off. "Cleo's some cat girl on Retrospec who has ears exactly like yours. She didn't always have 'em either. Thought you might be her brother or something."

Fai is being a lazy butt in bed this morning. He does have to work but his first appointment isn't until almost lunchtime, so he's got plenty of morning hours left to sprawl out on the bed like a lazy cat. With his lazy cats, who are also sprawled out. It's a great morning.

After a while he drags himself up to make a cup of tea, and decides it's an especially great morning for playing. He's been so busy lately, between work and bingo and keeping up with all of his new friends, that he hasn't had much time to just... play. So he pulls out his violin, quickly runs through his little maintenance routine on the instrument, and then lifts it to his shoulder. Something light and quick and cheerful--

--he doesn't get through more than a few bars before the yelling starts.

"Orion?!"

Fai doesn't even stop to put his violin down, and it means too much to him just to drop out of hand--he bolts for the door still carrying the instrument, and goes straight for Orion's door.

"Orion? What's going on? Are you okay?"

At the sound of Fai's voice, his hands instantly clap down over his new ears, glancing the direction of the door as he frantically tries to figure out how to hide these things.

Shit!

"I'm fine!" What he had intended to come out calm and collected instead comes out frustrated and slightly freaked out. Someone tell him he's still dreaming.

Another look in the mirror, the peek of a finger. The black furry thing is still under it.

"Fuck!" He yells again. Just how in the Hell is he supposed to go to work like this? And holding them down as forcefully as he is begins to hurt. He finally takes his hands off of them and scrambles around the apartment looking for... something to cover these things with. He doesn't have any hats, does he...? But he's not going to answer that door with these ears exposed. Fai or not, this is... not a situation he wants to be in. He's not supposed to be in this situations. "This is absolute bullshit!"

He finds a towel and tosses it on top of his head before stomping toward the door and yanking it open. The look on Orion's face is certainly less than pleased, though by no fault of Fai's, and he ends up glaring at the other man in his own frustration.

A deep breath, an angry huff. And he manages to make his tone come out stern, but even.

"What, Fai?" is all he manages to say as he glances the man over, eyes pausing on the violin.

[Cleo's been happy to have her ears gone. She thought, surely, it was Retrospec finally giving up when it got boring.

But then, she spots a man with her ears. (Her ears, she nearly spits in her mind. Those are not hers.) But when she spots him, he spots her as well, and soon has her by the collar... Big mistake. Her arm immediately snaps out to clamp down on his wrist to pull him off.]

My name is Cleo.

[Orion's eyes narrow as he listens to her name, and he promptly drops her. If he was bothered by his wrist being grabbed, he certainly doesn't show any trace of it.

This game of hide and seek has been frustrating, and he's been demanding answers from people for the last two hours; at least for today. Who the Hell is Neferti? Maybe they don't exist and his head's just playing tricks on him. Wait, what else would this be, anyway? His head is always playing tricks on him.

He gives a sour expression.

That's right, this Neferti probably doesn't exist. He's succumbing to his head. Fuck.

He feels the ears atop his head twitch uncomfortably and he lays them flat, and he finally pushes his face into his hand.]

FUCK! Goddamnit! [Now what is he supposed to do.]

[Once he stops being so aggressive, she lets go of his wrist... but watching those ears, watching another person go through what she has...]

... You are another victim of Retrospec, are you not?

[The look Orion shoots her is one of confusion.]

A victim of what? That stupid program?!

[That seemed to be a ridiculous thing to be a victim of. Yea, the program and Jim's updates were annoying. But he wouldn't exactly call it victimizing.

He shakes his head.]

No, I... I have Schizophrenia. I hear and see shit all the time. [Like the name of a person he couldn't find.] It's never been this persistent, though. I've been hearing Neferti for a week!

....

Sorry. For attacking you. I know better, but... I just wanted to make it stop.

[It's a cringe toward the end of his voice; he can't believe he started attacking people over some stupid voice in his head.]

Not that.

[She shakes her head. She doesn't know what to make of that sudden confession. It can wait.]

... I mean the ears on your head. Those... Did you perhaps gain them a few days ago?

[..................

Oh, that....]

Yea, I had them when I woke up the other morning.... It's annoying, they keep wiggling.

[She nods.]

... Until recently, I had those same ears. I think it likely... Retrospec has you searching for me.

.......

[Wait, what?

A confused eye twitch that's in sync with the ears.]

These are yours? [Can you do him a favour and take them back?] How do I get rid of them?

They are not mine. Retrospec merely saddled me with them.

[she sounds very firm on that point.]

If I knew that, I wouldn't have had them in the first place.

[Go figure... Please don't tell him he's stuck for life with these.]

Man, this is fucked up. Neither of us wants these shitty things, huh?

[Note to self: beat up Retrospec later. This is bullshit.]

So, what do we do now? [He hadn't thought he'd get this far, ears or search wise. Though beating the piss out of Jim sounds like a perfectly valid option.]

I only wish I knew.

[She shakes her head.]

... I did receive a strange vision when I lost these ears. Something about flowers. Perhaps that was a hint?

Flowers? [What in the world did flowers have to do with anything?

...Actually, as a matter of fact.]

I think I did, too. When I got these. Kind of. I was dreaming, but the girl kind of looked like you. You made a noise at a suit of armour. Like it scared you.

[Why would he have dreams about some other girl's life, though? Is this what Retrospec does? Swap things between people?]

I- I would not be scared-

[the indignation is reflexive, but she calms down quickly enough.]

... But the one in the visions is not me, so it doesn't matter. A suit of armor... sounds like the type of visions I have been receiving. Far more than flowers do.

[While flowers would sound much more like Orion's, not that he'll admit it.]

The flowers - were they like scribbles on paper? They didn't really look like flowers, right?

[If it's the memory he's thinking of, putting those pieces together.

And even more curious... He scratches at the back of one of the ears.]

Are these things really attached? [It's not like he could properly see himself.]

... That's right. You know of them?

[She looks up at him. ... Unfortunately, she's very small.]

If you kneel down, I might be able to see them better.

Sort of. It was a weird vision I got of someone drawing on paper a while ago. [Weird that she saw it, too.

The ears twitch as Orion looks at Cleo, the request to kneel down. For a brief (and only very brief) moment, he's hesitant. But he wants these ears gone and if they're not actually attached, he may not be stuck with them for very much longer.

He bends down on one knee, tilting his head down for Cleo to get a better look.]

[Cleo nods, and reaches forward, fingers brushing his hair aside to look at where the ears meet his head...

And then they're gone.]

-- What?!

[Orion actually almost jumps at the sudden yell, quickly looking up at her.

..... Hooboy, he's not sure how to say this....

In fact, he's completely speechless. So to clue her in, he just motions a hand up to the top of his head and motions where the ears are... or... would be? They're not standing up? He presses a hand on top of his head, feeling through his hair to be sure.

Oh, thank God, they're gone!]

[She quickly pats down on her own ears- or where her ears should be.

Nothing.

Her hands fly up to the top of her head, where she touches those now-familiar twitching pointed ears...]

... No.

[Orion's face actually does fall a bit when he sees Cleo's reaction.

She really does hate those ears as much as he does... did. What do you even say to that? Better you than me?

Orion's so not good at this social stuff. He scratches the back of his head as he tries to come up with something... anything.]

Look, I know those things suck. I didn't know that would give them back to you. [Does that make him responsible in some way? Still, knowing someone else's suffering, he can't help but try to reach out a little.] If you want my number or something, I'll give you someone to gripe about it to. Or buy you ice cream. Whatever makes you feel better.

Ah... No, it's... It's all right. Neither of us knew.

[She is absolutely heartbroken, but it's not Orion's fault. She has to keep it together. Practically on autopilot, she pulls out her phone.]

... I... Talking to someone who understands may help, yes.

[Orion watches her reaction. He can't help but feel a little terrible. If this were his Schizophrenia, and he followed those same footsteps, he'd be miserable, too.

He's gotten three reasons to hate Retrospec absolutely in one conversation, one meeting, one idle passingby.

He swears silently to beat the piss out of whoever started this mess.

When she pulls out her phone, he gives her the number to his cell. And then, after another moment of awkward silence...]

I'm sorry.

[She shakes her head.]

No, it's all right. There's no need to apologize. It is simply one more reason to stop Retrospec as soon as possible...

[Orion nods again.]

I definitely plan to raise some Hell for this. I'll keep you updated if I find anything out.

[Starting with breaking and entering, most likely.]

Thank you, but... Be careful. Retrospec is dangerous. Don't put yourself at risk just for this.

Y'got nothing to worry about. I've gotten out of way worse.

[Or so he thinks.]

Worse than Retrospec?

Probably. Retrospec is more like an annoying bully than a threat.

[Look, he searched his apartment for cameras after they pulled the bullshit of taking Fai's photo in his own quarters. That's not only annoying, it's paranoia-inducing.]

Someone's gotta put them in their place anyway. Or they'll just keep doing it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Heaven, Help Us Now; Come Crashing Down

4A.

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1 - good god sorry this is so late!!

No worries! o7

4B

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CW: Schizophrenia

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CW: Schizophrenia

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